A community’s love for powerful, majestic and graceful bird. This is a story about the power of community. The Osprey Project was launched connecting with the nonprofit Together We Can. The project allowed the grassroots effort to accept donations to cover the cost of building and erecting new osprey platforms in town. Since 2021, more than $50,000 has been raised to protect a bird that has gained a prominent foothold in Falmouth. There are more Osprey’s in Falmouth than in Westport, MA probably the highest concentration in the Northeast.
Giving Falmouth’s osprey population options to utility poles as nesting spots is the mission of the Osprey Project. As nesting on utility poles results in fires that can lead to power outages and bird deaths. Last year there were 10 fires, so there were not only 10 bird deaths, but also 10 power outages all over town.
Protecting a bird that is so tied to the water, the speed, precision and grace with which an osprey dives for fish is a sight to behold. Which makes sense in a town like Falmouth where the ocean is never far away.
With the funds raised so far, roughly 25 osprey platforms in Falmouth have been replaced with new ones.
Although ospreys are large birds with wingspan of five-and-a-half-feet, they weigh only about 3 pounds.
What’s next for the Osprey Project? With the majority of new, replacement nest having been successful, the project is moving to phase two. To fix the few they put up last year that were not successful. Phase three will involve repairing older platforms that are at risk of failure.
